BRUCE L. WARREN

Bruce L. Warren, age 88, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bruce was born in Owosso on April 23, 1934, the son of James Calvin and Thelma Laureatte (Loy) Warren. Bruce's mother became ill and passed 19 days after his birth, so his paternal grandmother took charge of him. Bruce lived with his grandparents, George Francis Warren and Harriet Evaline "Hattie" (VanDyne) Warren, on the original Warren farm in Middlebury Township. Bruce's father and older siblings lived on an adjacent farm and both households farmed together. His father's farm on Warren Road is still in the family. The Warrens worshipped at Middlebury Methodist Church where Bruce's VanDyne and Warren great-grandfathers were among the first trustees. Another of Bruce's ancestors, Nathan Herrick, had owned the land used for the church building. Bruce's grandmother played the church piano. In her letters and diaries, his grandmother mentioned young Bruce singing solos at church. Bruce also helped with the digging of the church basement in the 1940s. He never forgot how dynamite was used to loosen the ground. Bruce attended Warren school which was at the northeast corner of Warren and Hibbard Roads. He reminisced about going in early on cold mornings to start a fire in the stove that heated the school. After graduating from Warren School, Bruce began high school in Ovid. In the late 1940s, his grandmother having passed, Bruce and his grandfather moved to the home of Bruce's Aunt Florence Warren in Berkley, Mich. It was there that Bruce completed high school, before going on to study at the Lawrence Institute of Technology. While living in Berkley, Bruce developed a life-long interest in model airplane building. Among his early jobs, Bruce worked for a Model Hobby store. Later, Bruce completed an apprenticeship as a die maker for Chrysler Corporation and worked as a die maker and press room supervisor before moving back home to work for Universal Electric Company. Bruce married Mona Lee Leonard on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1956, at Campground Methodist Church in Bethesda, Arkansas. The newlyweds settled into Bruce's Berkley home - which he had purchased from his aunt. Bruce and Mona's first two children (Sandy and Mark) were born while living in Berkley. Their third (Greg) was born in Owasso. They moved to Shiawassee County in the early 1960s and remained until the end of the decade. They first bought a home in Easton, New Haven Township. Later they transferred to a few acres on S. Ruess Road in Owosso Township where Bruce and Mona self-built their dream home. Everywhere they lived, Bruce and Mona were deeply involved in the activities of their local Methodist congregation. In the 60s, this was the Corunna Methodist Church, which became the Corunna United Methodist Church in 1968. Among other community involvements, Bruce was an early member of ?the new Owasso Township Volunteer Fire Dept. Bruce spent the bulk of his career at Universal Electric Company. He started as a tool and die maker at the Owasso plant in 1961 and held several positions as he continued his education. Bruce was promoted to Assistant Plant Engineer at the company's Altavista, Va. plant and moved his family to nearby Hurt, Virginia in December 1969. In spring 1973, he was transferred to Ripley, Tenn., where he served as the Plant Engineering Manager. After retirement, Bruce and Mona moved from Ripley to Sand Springs, Okla. to be near their daughter. They had two new homes built during their years in Sand Springs. Bruce always enjoyed being involved with new construction, and often reminisced about the Owasso home he and Mona had built. In 2018, Bruce and Mona moved into Oklahoma Methodist Manor in Tulsa. Mona preceded Bruce in death on April 20, 2019. Bruce is survived by daughter Sandra Lee Crisp (Charles David) of Oklahoma; sons Mark Douglas Warren (Kathryn Diane) of North Carolina and Bruce Gregory Warren (Dr. Susan Marie Thiel) of Washington; sister Mildred Lucelia Reynnells of Florida; seven grandchildren Mathew (Amber) Parker of Oklahoma, Dr. Rachel (Benjamin) Martel of Oregon, Michael (Kathryn) Warren of North Carolina, Megan (Alan) Sheridan of North Carolina, Conner Warren of Colorado, Melissa Warren of California and Cody Warren of Colorado; step granddaughter Amber (Sean) McCann; six great-grandchildren Caleb, Natalie, Brooks, Luke, Ella and Ares; many nieces, nephews and other extended family. He was preceded in death by his wife; parents; grandparents; siblings Norma Gene Warren, Loy James Warren, Phyllis Mae Francis and Mary Ellen Roney; stepmother Frieda Ruth Warren; special aunt Florence Amy Warren; all his brothers-in-law, sisters-in law, aunts and uncles; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Trinity Woods - trinitywoodstulsa.com/giving

BRUCE L. WARREN

April 23, 1934 - December 28, 2022